Whole Foods announces Newport News opening date

Stores are starting to open up at Newport News Tech Center along Jefferson Avenue and Oyster Point Road.

Stores are starting to open up at Newport News Tech Center along Jefferson Avenue and Oyster Point Road.

Daily Press

Whole Foods will open its new store in Newport News on Nov. 4

Shoppers, mark your calendars.

After years of planning and months of construction, Whole Foods — the national grocer that is locally sourced, organic and natural — announced Tuesday that it will open its 40,000-square-foot store in Newport News on Nov. 4, according to company spokeswoman Katie Malloy.

The store is located at 12080 Jefferson Ave. in the Marketplace at Tech Center development. It will sell a number of organic products, including seasonal, locally grown produce, seafood, meat and poultry.

Whole Foods Market Newport News will be the Austin, Texas-based company's 12th store in Virginia and its 49th store in the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware.

Opening day will kick off with a bread-breaking ceremony at 8:45 a.m., according to a news release.

The Newport News location will incorporate many design and food elements that celebrate the region's food and bay culture, including:

Here is every photo we've taken of the Marketplace at Tech Center development since it broke ground.

A pub with an oyster bar featuring raw, char-grilled and fried oysters. A variety of Virginia oysters, and the exclusive Whole Foods Market oyster, the Salty Hog, will also be included.

Special design elements, including an original wooden bay boat for the coffee and custard bar.

An extensive bakery with made-in-house bread, doughnuts and Whole Foods' take on retro-style snack cakes — a first for the region, Malloy said.

“We're growing to better serve the greater Hampton Roads area,” said Josh Spille, the Whole Foods Market Newport News store team leader, in a statement. “We can't wait to serve our customers here in Newport News, whether it's their first time in a Whole Foods Market or they're long-time customers. The countdown to Nov. 4 is on.”

Marketplace at Tech Center is the 40-acre retail component of Tech Center at Oyster Point, a $450 million, mixed-use development on 100 acres at Jefferson Avenue and Oyster Point Road in the retail heart of Newport News.

Stores in the sprawling retail development continue to open.

Stein Mart opened its store in the development on Oct. 1, according to a company news release.

More than 10 restaurants and stores, including P.F. Chang's, Café Rio and DSW, opened last month.

And more shops are slated to open soon.

Jeff Garrison, a partner with Georgia-based S.J. Collins Enterprises, which is overseeing the retail construction of the development, said his crews are set to deliver more retailers over the next couple of weeks: Massage Envy, Mellow Mushroom, Conte's Bike Shop, Point 2 Running Company, AT&T and Chantel Ray Real Estate offices.

Garrison added eateries Jimmy Johns and First Watch, a first-to-the-region breakfast and brunch restaurant, are also set to join the tenant line up at the new 250,000-square-foot shopping center. He said additional retailers and restaurants, such as Bassett Furniture and Nothing Bundt Cakes, are set to open at the Marketplace by Dec. 15.

“We've always known it was going to be special, and we're happy to see it take shape,” Garrison said. “Our 40 acres is just a precursor to the much larger research complex, and we hope people will see progress on that soon.”